Connellsville for all seasons

by Ben Moyer

Few small cities can match the setting of Connellsville. The town spreads gracefully across a narrow terrace above a bend in the Youghiogheny River while its landward neighborhoods scale beyond the base of Chestnut Ridge. Viewed from downriver, Connellsville is a nucleus of human construction embraced by nature.

The only aspect of Connellsville that is as dramatic as its setting is its history. Connellsville’s location was a key river crossing during the French and Indian War. In 1755, General Braddock’s British regiments crossed the Youghiogheny there on their way to disaster, just short of their goal — the French Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh).

Farmer, surveyor and war veteran Colonel William Crawford settled on the Youghiogheny’s west shore in 1765. His reconstructed cabin is one of those storied places that can claim “George Washington slept here” since Colonel Crawford hosted his famous friend when Washington explored the “western country” after the Revolution. Today, Crawford’s cabin homesite is part of Connellsville’s Yough River Park.

Zachariah Connell laid out a plan for the town in 1793, attracting so many settlers that Connellsville incorporated as a borough in 1806.

Connellsville grew steadily through the 19th century after coal from the region’s vast deposits gained importance as industrial fuel. As steelmaking boomed nearby at Pittsburgh, the mills craved enormous volumes of coke, the pure-carbon fuel made by baking bituminous coal in thousands of coke ovens across the “Connellsville Coke Region,” blazing Fayette County’s night sky orange. Trains ran back and forth, hauling coal into Connellsville ovens and coke to Pittsburgh mills. It is said that during the peak of the Coke Era, Connellsville boasted more millionaires per capita than any other place in the world.

Steel, coal and coke all declined, and Connellsville could have become a forgotten relic of the industrial age. But the city still boasted its dramatic setting, framed by a river and a mountain range. By the 21st century, one of those old rail lines had been transformed into a biking and hiking trail, and people began noticing that graceful river at Connellsville’s doorstep. Connellsville seized its opportunity to remake itself as a center of outdoor recreation. Increasingly, residents and visitors alike recognize this small city on the Yough as a place of adventure and natural beauty.

Winter by the river

Visitors from near and far find Connellsville’s transformation offers an appealing destination, even in winter.

“You can ride a bike or take a hike on the Great Allegheny Passage at Connellsville any time there’s no snow. Winter is a great time to use the trail because you can see the river and downtown better when the leaves have fallen. And off the trail, there’s more to see and do here all the time.” said Connellsville Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Mike Edwards. “When we do have snow, more people are cross-country skiing portions of the GAP.” or canoeing the river during winter might not be the best recreational decision. Experts, adequately equipped and trained, continue to paddle the Youghiogheny when it’s free of ice.

In his professional role helping to guide Connellsville’s community and economic future, Edwards knows how the city has made the most of its setting.

“Connellsville has already become a biking hub along the Great Allegheny Passage,” Edwards said. “When the Sheepskin Trail is complete through Uniontown, it will link the GAP with West Virginia’s trail systems, and if we can connect with the Coal and Coke Trail through Westmoreland County, our economic potential as a recreational hub will be enormous.

“Entrepreneurs of all types are already jumping on the bandwagon,” he continued. “The Comfort Inn at Yough Park purchased bikes and canoes and encourages their guests to enjoy the city, the river and the trail. They also do a shuttle service now for bikers who want to probe long-distance on the GAP.

“Our Polar Bear Club has been luring people to the Youghiogheny River here since 2005. That was an idea put forth by our recreation board,” Edwards said.

The Connellsville Polar Club invites the public to join its members in taking a dip in the Youghiogheny on New Year’s Day. Visitors from as far away as Australia have taken the plunge.

Otherwise, visitors and residents are cautioned that kayaking

“We have one brewery now, and there’s another one planned. Also in the planning stage are an event center with a skating rink, fire pits and a climbing wall at the Comfort Inn. A lot of new businesses are keyed toward serving visitors on the trail or the river. We have new restaurants, massage and meditation services, and bed and breakfast accommodations are popping up. People can come here now and find multiple options for lodging.”

Connellsville’s rising image as an outdoor and tourism destination was proven last summer when Governor Shapiro

Connellsville

Continued from 5 visited the city to announce the state’s first-ever Office of Outdoor Recreation. The Governor could have made the announcement in the Poconos, at Lake Erie or in the popular “Pennsylvania Dutch” region, but he chose Connellsville.

Speaking at the announcement ceremony next to the Governor, Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln said, “We are fortunate to have experienced significant economic revitalization from the direct impact of the Great Allegheny Passage and the boon in outdoor recreation.”

Edwards suggested that one winter option for Connellsville visitors is to experience the city’s public art displays. Through cooperative efforts of the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority, Fayette County Cultural Trust, The Progress Fund, and Trail Town Initiative, commissioned artists have placed sculptures throughout the city that celebrate Connellsville’s industrial past while pointing to its potential as a recreational destination. Murals also grace downtown, plus an artistic touch to Fairview Avenue’s long, steep stairway.

Connellsville’s Gateway Arch, for example, straddles the GAP just downriver from Yough Park. Made from stained glass, steel and coal, the arch welcomes eastbound bikers to town and reminds westbound travelers of the former industrial significance of the city they just visited.

The Coke to Spokes sculpture at the intersection of First Street and Third Street evokes a similar message. “Public art is something that can be overlooked, but it interests people when it’s pointed out,” Edwards observed. “Coke to Spokes remembers Connellsville’s past when the coke ovens were burning, powering the entire steel industry, but instead of smoke rising from the ovens, bicycle wheels represent the smoke.”

No initiative better symbolizes Connellsville’s spirit of honoring the past while seizing the future than the Connellsville Canteen. Located downtown at 131 W. Crawford Ave., the Canteen serves as a museum, a community gathering place, a restaurant and a historical shrine.

The Canteen honors America’s and Connellsville’s sacrifices, triumphs and compassion during World War II. During the war, trains passed through Connellsville carrying thousands of troops headed either to foreign battlefields or back to their homes. Local service organizations and volunteers gathered at the Connellsville train station to serve the troops hot coffee, sandwiches and donuts. Surviving World War II vets from around the country still remember the kindness shown in Connellsville.

Today, the Canteen commemorates the generosity extended to troops at Connellsville. Inside, photographs, maps, donated uniforms, letters and other memorabilia recall the nation’s mood during the 1940s war years. An assembly room hosts community events, and the Canteen cafe serves a varied menu for breakfast and lunch at modest prices. The cafe is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., including winter.

“The Canteen is meaningful to people here because so many families have donated the items on display. And people who come through Connellsville now on the trail or on the way to Fallingwater have told us every town should have something like our Canteen to preserve their stories,” Edwards said.

In 2019, the Pittsburgh chapter of Scenic America, a national organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the visual character and scenic beauty of America, honored Connellsville with its “Scenic Pittsburgh Award.” The award program recognizes community excellence in preserving, enhancing and promoting scenic resources within the Western Pennsylvania region.

“Our public art was one of the things Scenic Pittsburgh noted with that award,” Edwards said. “And also, the way we have tried to maintain and call attention to our city’s dramatic natural setting.”

For more information about visiting Connellsville or opening a business there, check the city’s website at connellsville.us, the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority at connellsvilleredevelopment.org, or the Fayette County Cultural Trust at fayettetrust.org.